Programmed pool cleaning system

ABSTRACT

A cleaning system for swimming pools includes a recirculating pump system which has a suction inlet and a water outlet. A suction return is located in the pool; and the suction return is connection to the suction inlet of the recirculating pump system. In-floor cleaning heads are located adjacent the ends of the pool and operate in a 360° circle to sweep the bottom of the pool and place debris in suspension. Intermediate the 360° rotatable heads, between the ends of the pool and the suction return, cleaning heads which sweep in substantially a 180° arc are directed toward the suction return to move debris toward the suction return for removal by the recirculating pump system.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S.Ser. No. 10/282,653, filed Oct. 28, 2002, which is in turn acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/861,403, filed May 17, 2001,and now abandoned, which is related in turn to U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,645,issued Feb. 12, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Many modern swimming pools are constructed with in-floorautomatic cleaning systems. These systems substantially reduce, if noteliminate, the time which must be spent by pool owners or poolmaintenance companies in cleaning the pools. Such cleaning systemstypically include a plurality of spaced retractable cleaning headslocated at various positions in the bottom, walls and steps of the poolto effect indexed sweeping of the floor, walls and steps of the poolwith jets of water adjacent to and parallel to the pool surfacesurrounding the cleaning heads. This action moves dirt and debris whichhas settled onto the surface adjacent the heads away from the regionbeing cleaned. Hopefully, the dirt ultimately moves toward the floordrain, where it then is removed by the suction inlet of a recirculatingpump system for removal by filtration from the water of the pool, priorto returning the water to the cleaning heads. The outlet side of therecirculating pump system supplies the water back to the cleaning headsafter passing it through a filter.

[0003] While such in-floor pool cleaning systems are a substantialimprovement over pools without such systems, ultimate cleaning stilldoes not occur. When the cleaning heads are placed around the perimeterof the pool, these heads activate currents which blow debris up the walland/or the corners of the pool, holding the debris suspended in thecurrents, and then actually depositing the debris on the other side ofthe cleaning head. As a consequence, when the head indexes around andpoints to the interior of the pool, the water currents push the debristoward the center of the pool, eventually directing it to the deep endof the pool, where the suction drain typically is located.

[0004] Theoretically, this is good, until a second row or bank ofcleaning heads intermediate the first ones and the drain operates. Allof the cleaning heads in the bottom or floor of conventional in-floorpool cleaning systems have a 360° indexed circle of rotation. As aconsequence, the second or intermediate row of heads has a tendency toblow the debris and dirt back behind the first row of heads to start thesequence all over again. Thus, dirt in such conventional in-floor poolcleaning systems is simply transferred back and forth, from one set ofheads to the other, into the “just cleaned” zones.

[0005] It is desirable to provide a pool cleaning system for efficientlytransferring dirt and debris from all parts of the pool toward thesuction drains located in the bottom of the pool, with minimalback-and-forth transfer of the debris from one bank of cleaning heads toanother.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of this invention to provide an improved swimmingpool cleaning system.

[0007] It is another object of this invention to provide an improvedmethod for cleaning a swimming pool.

[0008] It is an additional object of this invention to provide animproved in-floor cleaning system and method for a swimming pool.

[0009] It is a further object of this invention to provide an improvedin-floor cleaning system and method for a swimming pool, which utilizesbanks of programmed cleaning heads to direct debris toward the suctionreturn or drain of the swimming pool.

[0010] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, acleaning system and method for a swimming pool is operated inconjunction with a recirculating pump system which has a suction waterinlet and a water outlet. A suction return of the swimming pool isconnected to the suction water inlet of the recirculating pump system.The water outlet of the recirculating pump system is connected to atleast a first rotatable cleaning head in the floor of the pool, locatednear an end of the pool for cleaning in a 360° circle. At least a secondrotatable cleaning head is located in the floor of the pool between thefirst cleaning head and the suction return for cleaning in substantiallya 180° arc directed toward the suction return of the pool. The wateroutlet of the recirculating pump system is connected to the first andsecond cleaning heads for alternately supplying water from the outlet ofthe recirculating pump system to these cleaning heads.

[0011] Other features and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In suchdrawings:

[0013]FIG. 1 is a top diagrammatic view of a swimming pool cleaningsystem incorporating a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a swimming poolcleaning system incorporating the preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a recirculating pumpsystem employed in conjunction with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and2; and

[0016]FIG. 4 is a top diagrammatic view of the same pool shown in FIG. 1illustrating the manner of operation of a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] Reference now should be made to the drawings, in which the samereference numbers are used throughout the different figures to designatethe same or similar components. Initially, reference should be made toFIGS. 1 and 2, which show a diagrammatic top view and a cross-sectionalview, respectively of a typical swimming pool in which the preferredembodiment of the invention is employed.

[0018] The swimming pool 10 generally has at least one shallow end, oris shallow at both ends with a deeper portion in which a suction returnin the form of a drain 12 (or pair of drains, as shown in FIG. 1) islocated. The pool typically is filled with water to a water level nearthe top edge of the pool, whereby the pool defines submerged bottom andside wall surfaces. In a pool which utilizes an automatic in-floorcleaning system using pop-up indexing cleaning heads, the cleaning headsare located at various positions in the submerged surfaces such as thebottom and/or steps of the pool, as indicated in FIG. 1. The locationsof different cleaning heads are designated by the circled designations 1through 8, carrying the reference numbers 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and30 for different groups or banks of cleaning heads. In the simplifiedillustration of FIGS. 1 and 2, only one cleaning head is shown for eachof the banks; although it should be understood that two or three, orperhaps even more, cleaning heads could be utilized for each of thedifferent bank designations 1 through 8, if desired. The number ofcleaning heads on each bank or in each group, for any given pool system,depends upon the size of the recirculating pump used in the system, aswell as the characteristics of the water distribution valve used toalternately supply water to the different banks of cleaning heads in apre-programmed sequence.

[0019] A typical swimming pool of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 alsogenerally includes another suction return in the form of a skimmer 14(or water trap for a vanishing edge pool), which also is connected tothe suction inlet of the water distribution system, along with theconnection of the drain 12 in the bottom of the pool. In the operationof a pool of the type shown in FIG. 1, a recirculating water supply isutilized. A preferred arrangement of such a water supply is shown inFIG. 3. This recirculating water supply includes a pump 36, the vacuumside of which is connected to lines (not shown) to the skimmer 14 andthe floor drains 12. This is the water which is pulled into the suctioninlet of the pump 36 to remove the water from the pool for filtrationand recirculation. The outlet side of the pump 36 is connected to afilter 38, which may be of any one of a number of standard pool filterconfigurations.

[0020] Water flowing from the output of the filter 38 then either maypass directly through an open valve 42, or, if the valve 42 is closed,through a chlorinator 40 for automatically treating the water passingout of the filter 38. Two other valves 44 and 46 determine the pathwhich will be taken by the water coming from the outlet side of the pump36 and the filter 38, and/or the chlorinator 40. If the valve 46 isclosed and the valve 44 is open, all of the water is returned to asingle (or a plurality) of pool return inlets into the pool, typicallybypassing the in-floor cleaning system described above in conjunctionwith FIGS. 1 and 2. If the valve 44 is closed and the valve 46 is open,all of the water passing out of the filter 38, whether directly throughthe valve 42 or through the chlorinator 40, is supplied to a waterdistribution valve 48, shown as having eight different outlet pipes orbanks, numbered 1 through 8, in circles in the bottom of FIG. 3.

[0021] The water distribution valve 48 ideally is of the type describedin the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,645; although the valve 48could be any one of a number of water distribution valves currently usedin conjunction with automatic in-floor swimming pool cleaning systems.The basic operation of such valves, including the valve 48, is that thewater supplied to the inlet of the valve, such as through the valve 46,is directed through the outlet ports 1 through 8, one at a time.Consequently, the outlet ports 1 through 8 individually receive the fulloutput of the recirculating pump 36 at any given time when therecirculation system is in operation.

[0022] In the system shown in FIG. 3, a control circuit 50 controls thedwell time of the water distribution valve 48 according the abovementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,645; so that the time at which water issupplied under pressure to each of the outlet ports 1 through 8 may bevaried in accordance with the use of, and location of, those ports. Forexample, port No. 1 of the valve 48 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 asbeing connected to the cleaning head (or bank of heads) 16 located in ashallower portion of the pool adjacent the right-hand end, as viewed inboth FIGS. 1 and 2. The head 16 on port 1, as well as the head or heads18 on port 2 and those on ports 5 and 6 designated with reference Nos.24 and 26 in the drawing of FIGS. 1 and 2, are located adjacentrespective ends of the pool. The head or banks of heads connected tooutlet ports 3, 4, 7 and 8 and numbered, respectively, 20, 22, 28 and 30in FIG. 1, are located in a deeper portion of the pool, closer to thelocation of the drains 12.

[0023] In the operation of the cleaning system, the dwell times of eachof these different banks is adjustable by means of the control 50 tooptimize the effective cleaning which is accomplished by each head orbank of heads in the system. The manner in which this is done isdescribed in greater detail in the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No.6,345,645. It should be noted, however, that the system according to thepresent invention may be operated in conjunction with standard water jetdistribution valves as well, in which the dwell time of each of thedifferent ports is the same, that is, where the dwell time is not variedfrom one port to the other.

[0024] Reference should now be made to FIG. 4 taken again in conjunctionwith the illustrations of FIGS. 1 and 2. In the system underconsideration, the water distribution valve 48 sequentially supplieswater under pressure to each of its outlet ports numbered 1 through 8,which are connected to corresponding outlets numbered 1 through 8 in thebottom of the pool, as previously described. In the system disclosedhere, the outlet cleaning heads connected to the ports 1, 2, 5 and 6 arelocated with the cleaning heads 1 and 2 near the right-hand end of thepool, and the cleaning 5 and 6 located near the left-hand end of thepool as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. These cleaning heads, numbered 16,18, 24 and 26, are located sufficiently near the walls and ends of thepool to direct the indexed cleaning water, supplied to them when thecorresponding port of the valve 48 is provided with water, to step in a360° circle to sweep the debris from the ends and walls of the poollocated adjacent these heads. Such a 360° cleaning is indicated by threeconcentric circles around each of these heads 16, 18, 24 and 26, asillustrated in FIG. 4. The circles are shown as extending beyond theedges of the pool 10 to indicate the cleaning force is applied to thewalls and sides of the pool where the walls and sides of the poolconnect with the bottom to thoroughly sweep debris from all surfaces ofthe pool. In actuality, the sweep of the heads 16, 18, 24 an 26 cannotextend beyond the pool perimeter, as is obvious. The operation of thepool cleaning heads connected to the ports 1, 2, 5 and 6 and designatedas 16, 18, 24 and 26 is standard 360° rotation, of the type currentlyemployed with pop-up, in-floor cleaning heads manufactured by variouscompanies. One illustrative full-circle rotatable cleaning headconstruction is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,546, which isincorporated by reference herein.

[0025] The cleaning heads of banks 3, 4, 7 and 8 in the pool bottom orfloor, however, are designed to index 180° and then return the oppositedirection 180° to sweep debris from these heads directly toward thedrains 12, without rotating full circle to blow debris back toward theheads 16, 18, 24 and 26. The heads 20, 22, 28 and 30 are supplied withwater under pressure from the distribution valve 48 in the same manneras the banks of heads located throughout the bottom of in-floor poolsystems have been operated in the past. The difference, however, is thatthe heads 20, 22, 28 and 30 do not do a full circle (360°) rotation; butthey are pointed and programmed to sweep debris only from the point ofthe heads on down toward the drains.

[0026] As is evident from an examination of the diagram of FIG. 4, allof the circles or semi-circles of cleaning of the different headsoverlap one another. This is to insure that the entire floor of the poolis swept by these heads.

[0027] While the specific construction of the part-circle rotating heads20, 22, 28 and 30, including the associated mechanism or mechanisms forreversibly indexing these heads within a part-circle arcuate path ofabout 180°, is not shown and described in detail herein, persons skilledin the art will recognize and appreciate that suitable reversemechanisms of the type used in reversible part-circle pop-up irrigationsprinklers may be employed in an otherwise standard full-circle rotaryhead of the above mentioned type employed with pop-up, in-floor cleaningheads manufactured by various companies. Alternately, such cleaningheads may be modified by use of rotary drive mechanisms used inirrigation sprinklers and suitably adjusted or set for full-circle orpart-circle rotation in accordance with the location of each specificpop-up cleaning head in an in-floor cleaning system. Still further,using such reversing mechanisms as described, the part-circle rotatingheads may be adjustably set for back-and-forth, reciprocal part-circlerotation through an arcuate path that is greater than or less than 180°,if desired and as appropriate for the specific location of each cleaninghead in the in-floor cleaning system.

[0028] Illustrative pop-up irrigation sprinklers employing reversibleand adjustably set part-circle reversing mechanisms that can be used inthe production of part-circle pop-up cleaning heads for an in-floor poolcleaning system as described herein, are shown and described in detailin U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,187,056; 3,713,584; 3,724,757; 3,930,618; 4,253,608;4,417,691; 4,625,914; 4,634,052; 4,699,321; 4,708,291; 4,87,558;4,955,542; 5,148,991; and 5,383,600; as well as U.S. PublicationU.S.2002/0092924, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.

[0029] In the operation of the system shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, thesequential operation is that the head 16 first is supplied with waterunder pressure from the distribution valve 48. Then, the head 18 issupplied with water under pressure. Following this operation, the heads20 and 22 connected to the ports 3 and 4, respectively, are operated toeffect their indexed cleaning in the semi-circle or 180° arcs, as shown.Following this operation, a similar set of operations takes place forthe heads 24, 26, 28 and 30 on the opposite side of the pool. Over aperiod of time, the indexed cleaning of the heads 16, 18, 24 and 26 in a360° circle, and the heads 20, 22, 28 and 30 in 180° arcs, tends tooptimize the cleaning of the pool. This occurs because the heads 20, 22,28 and 30 do not operate to blow debris back toward the heads 16, 18, 24and 26. This improves the efficiency and cleaning action of the in-floorcleaning system employing a combination of 360° and 180° heads orientedas shown in FIG. 4.

[0030] While the suction returns connected to the suction inlet of thepump 36 have been described primarily in conjunction with a floor drain12, it should be noted that the system also may be used with pools whichdo not connect a floor drain to the suction inlet of the pump. Ths useof the term “suction inlet” is intended to cover such pool systems.

[0031] The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of theinvention should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting.Various changes will occur to those skilled in the art for performingsubstantially the same function, in substantially the same way, toachieve substantially the same result, without departing from the truescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cleaning system for swimming pools including incombination: a recirculating pump system having a suction water inletand a water outlet; a pool having first and second ends and a bottom; asuction return in the bottom of the pool; a connection between thesuction return and the suction inlet of the recirculating pump system;at least one first rotatable cleaning head in the bottom of the pool forcleaning in a 360° circle; at least one second rotatable cleaning headin the bottom of the pool between the at least one first cleaning headand the suction return for cleaning in substantially a 180° arc directedsubstantially toward the suction return; and means connected between thewater outlet of the recirculating pump system and the at least one firstcleaning head and the at least one second cleaning head for alternatelydelivering water from the outlet of the recirculating pump system to theat least one first cleaning head and the at least one second cleaninghead.
 2. The cleaning system according to claim 2 wherein the means foralternately supplying water to the at least one first rotatable cleaninghead and the at least one second rotatable cleaning head includes awater distribution valve.
 3. The cleaning system according to claim 2wherein the recirculating pump system delivers water from the wateroutlet thereof to the at least one first rotatable cleaning head for afirst predetermined period of time and supplies water to the at leastone second rotatable cleaning head for a second predetermined period oftime.
 4. The cleaning system according to claim 3 wherein a plurality offirst rotatable cleaning heads are located in the bottom of the pool forindexed cleaning in a 360° circle.
 5. The cleaning system according toclaim 4 further including a plurality of second rotatable cleaning headsin the bottom of the pool between each of the plurality of firstrotatable cleaning heads and the suction return for cleaning insubstantially a 180° arc directed toward the suction return.
 6. Thecleaning system according to claim 1 wherein the suction return is adrain and further including at least one additional first rotatablecleaning head in the bottom of the pool for cleaning in a 360° circle;and further including at least one additional second rotatable cleaninghead in the bottom of the pool between the additional first cleaninghead and the drain for cleaning a substantially a 180° arc directedsubstantially toward the drain; wherein the water outlet of therecirculating pump system further is connected to the additional firstand additional second cleaning heads for alternately delivering waterfrom the outlet of the recirculating pump system to the additional firstcleaning head and the additional second cleaning head.
 7. The cleaningsystem according to claim 6 wherein the first rotatable cleaning headsare located near first and second opposite ends of the pool and thesecond rotatable cleaning heads are located intermediate the firstrotatable cleaning heads and the drain of the pool.
 8. The cleaningsystem according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of first rotatablecleaning heads are located in the bottom of the pool for indexedcleaning in a 360° circle.
 9. The cleaning system according to claim 8further including a plurality of second rotatable cleaning heads in thebottom of the pool between the plurality of first cleaning heads and thesuction return in the pool for cleaning in substantially a 180° arcdirected toward the suction return in the pool.
 10. A method forcleaning swimming pools where a drain is located in the swimming pooland first and second cleaning heads also are located in the bottom ofthe pool between the one end of the pool and the drain, the methodcomprising the steps of: operating the first cleaning head in the bottomof the pool to clean in a 360° circle; locating the second cleaning headbetween the first cleaning head and the drain; and operating the secondcleaning head in the bottom of the swimming pool to sweep debrissubstantially in a 180° arc directed away from the first cleaning headand toward the suction return of the pool.
 11. The method according toclaim 10 further including the step of operating the first and secondcleaning heads in an alternating manner.
 12. A cleaning system forswimming pools including in combination: a recirculating pump systemhaving a suction water inlet and a water outlet; a pool having a suctionreturn; a connection between the suction return and the suction waterinlet of the recirculating pump system; at least one first rotatablecleaning head in the pool for cleaning in a substantially 360° circle;at least one second rotatable cleaning head in the pool between the atleast one first cleaning head and the suction return for cleaning insubstantially a part-circle arc directed substantially away from the atleast one first cleaning head and directed substantially toward thesuction return; and means connected between the water outlet of therecirculating pump system and the at least one first cleaning head andthe at least one second cleaning head for alternately delivering waterfrom the outlet of the recirculating pump system to the at least onefirst cleaning head and the at least one second cleaning head.
 13. Thecleaning system according to claim 12 wherein said at least one secondrotatable cleaning head indexes reversibly back-and-forth within saidsubstantially part-circle arc.
 14. The cleaning system according toclaim 12 wherein the means for alternately supplying water to the atleast one first rotatable cleaning head and the at least one secondrotatable cleaning head includes a water distribution valve.
 15. Thecleaning system according to claim 14 wherein the means for alternatelysupplying water to the at least one first rotatable cleaning head andthe at least one second rotatable cleaning head further includes aprogrammable control for programmably selecting the period of time saidat least one first and second rotatable cleaning heads are respectivelysupplied with water from the outlet of said recirculating pump system.16. The cleaning system according to claim 12 wherein the recirculatingpump system delivers water from the water outlet thereof to the at leastone first rotatable cleaning head for a first predetermined period oftime and then supplies water to the at least one second rotatablecleaning head for a second predetermined period of time.
 17. Thecleaning system according to claim 12 wherein said pool further includesa bottom, and further wherein said at least one first rotatable cleaninghead and said at least one second rotatable cleaning head are located insaid pool bottom.
 18. The cleaning system according to claim 12 whereinsaid at least one first rotatable cleaning head comprises a plurality offirst rotatable cleaning heads located in the pool each for indexedcleaning in a substantially 360° circle.
 19. The cleaning systemaccording to claim 18 wherein said at least one second rotatablecleaning head comprises a plurality of second rotatable cleaning headslocated in the pool respectively between each of the plurality of firstrotatable cleaning heads and the suction return for indexed cleaning ina substantially part-circle arc directed substantially away from theassociated one of said plurality of first cleaning heads and directedsubstantially toward the suction return.
 20. The cleaning system ofclaim 19 wherein said pool further includes a bottom, and furtherwherein said plurality of first and second cleaning heads are located insaid pool bottom.
 21. The cleaning system of claim 20 wherein saidsuction return in located in said pool bottom.
 22. The cleaning systemaccording to claim 20 wherein the first rotatable cleaning heads arelocated near first and second opposite ends of the pool and the secondrotatable cleaning heads are located intermediate the first rotatablecleaning heads and the suction return of the pool.
 23. A method forcleaning swimming pools where a suction return is located in theswimming pool and first and second cleaning heads also are located inthe pool between the one end of the pool and the suction return, themethod comprising the steps of: operating the first cleaning head toclean in a substantially 360° circle; locating the second cleaning headbetween the first cleaning head and the suction return; and operatingthe second cleaning head to sweep debris substantially in a part-circlearc directed substantially away from the first cleaning head anddirected substantially toward the suction return of the pool.
 24. Themethod according to claim 23 further including the step of operating thefirst and second cleaning heads in an alternating manner.